Smash Hit

Dietary restrictions are no match for these sweets

The best way to get hooked on something that’s good for you is to try it before you realize it’s healthy.

That’s what happened when we bit into a crumbly, amazingly buttery (or so we thought) sugar cookie made by local baker Smashed Muffin Goods. Then we turned over the packaging and saw that it was vegan, nut-free and soy-free.

Excuse us?

Katie Johnson, owner of SMG, is a plant-based nutrition devotee who bakes sweets that are safe for people with a variety of food allergies and dietary restrictions.

She uses ingredients that you’d never suspect you were eating--applesauce, flax seeds and organic evaporated cane juice are among her secret weapons. And while, hey, it’s still a cookie (aka not a kale salad), it’s way better for you than the store-bought kind.

SMG’s first farmers’-market season is under way, and you can pick up treats like breakfast loaves, baked doughnuts, fruit hand pies and more at the Pilsen, Downers Grove and Naperville markets throughout the summer. Johnson also takes custom orders, should you want to get a killer birthday cake for your pal with the gluten intolerance.